On a rainy Sunday in March, the heavy doors of Portland's New Church welcomed the boisterous sounds of shape note singing. The tradition originated in New England and is now experiencing a regional resurgence, having been sung mostly in the American South for the past century. Rachel James spent the afternoon speaking with folks at the New Church.

The Longfellow Chorus in Portland sponsors an annual festival that celebrates poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's birthday. On February 26, the festival kicked off with the inaugural "February Frostbite" road race. Sixty runners joined the event, possibly the shortest and coldest race in Maine. Ali Kuzmickas was at the starting line, asking runners and costumed Longfellow look-alikes why they were racing.

Salt students Nic Tanner and Pierce McCleary attended the Maine Restaurant Week kick-off event on Monday night at the Masonic Temple in Portland and brought back these amazing photos and sounds. Enjoy the party, and make sure you participate in Maine Restaurant week which is running now through March 12.